Latch



B. R. THlELE Jul 1, 1947.

LATCH a '2 N W me Q. 0 2

Filed March 27, 1944 A7701? Ni F.

l atented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES 2,423,352 l r I V pATcH" Bertho'id R. 'T hieie, lvlilwauke'e, Wis, assig'n'or to klwagiief'll lahufacfiiring flomp'any; Mil- .waukee, Wise a corporation of -Wiseon s in n e ii n MW 4 4 'L 9rie' -i 2?25% 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in latches for boxes or cases and the like, and particularly to latches in which the latch bolt is positively held in either its engaged or disengaged positions.

One obj ect -of the invention is to provide a, latch in which both a pressing and a turning action are necessary to move the bolt from engaged to disengaged position, or vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch in which the bolt is heldeither in engaged or disengaged position unless pressure is exerted on the bolt or'its associated parts before a turning force is applied to rotate the bolt from one position to the oth'er position thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch in which a locking means positively holds the bolt either in engaged or disengaged position until the locking means is released from the bolt by pressure before the bolt is turned from one position to theother position thereof.

Another object of the invention isto provide a latch which is extremely sirnple and compact in constructiom reliable ande'fi'ective in operation, attractive in appearance, susceptible of economical manufacture, and which may be readily'applied to a box or case and the like.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth willbe apparent from the following description when read in connection with the 'accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the'latch of the present invention applied to a fragment ofabox or case;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the relation of the several parts in dotted lines" Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the offset line III-III of Fig. 2';

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragment of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the base ofthe housing enclosing the latch bolt; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the latch bolt;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation o'fthe latch bolt;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a spring acting on the latch bolt; and H Fig. 9-is a side elevation of thespring shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by reierence numerals, 20 generally designates a casing serving 'as a keeper fora latch bolt-2| which is enclosd'in a housing generally designated 22. CasingZfl in.-'

eludes a base '26; indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

2 which is provided with a peripheral flange 21 t .2 or case to be latched. l ne casing'base 26 is enclosed by a cover .29 with a :fiange' 3'0 inter-fitting the flange 2i of'the base; the cover beingsuitablyi' astn 1 to theba'se. "lire bolt housing 22 likewise in arms a base-33 (see "5.) with fastening prongs 34 formed therefrom and with flanges providing walls 35 and 36 substantially defining a circular space; the wall having a straight portion .31 extending therefrom. The base is formed with pairs of sockets Bll'and .39 which are preferably on diameters of a circle concentric with the center 'o'fthe circular space.

.Thebolt housingis pompietedbfy a cover it with a peripheral flan e :41 ii'nterflttingwith a flange .42 about" portions of the edge 'of'th'e base anil the cover is suitably fastened to the base. .The' housing cover All is .f'orined with an opening of smaller be rotatable in the opening throughthe housing cover and has a pair of notches 41, i118 formed in the periphery of the bolt body; The andle .46 .forms a pocket preferably extend on a diameter .of th bolt :bady .flQ re ei in an varcuate.-sl1ap. .d eaf sprin .150 withtheendsyfi and .5 the shaped sub tant all as semispheres to seatin the base soclget. pairs-.38 Q 9 and tobempv ble into a d outof th tsock tg The. b .Z iOtChB 10x118 are. eneaseable .withon or mor lug .55 extending. toward .b l h sin bas iromthahws ne nver dn.

,When. the bolt 24 assembled in the 1 housing 2.2 and is engaged with the casing 2 asishown in Figs. v2 and.:3; the spring ends .51 and, 5,2 are seated in sockets 38 andthebolt boiiy 4,4visthel'd .againstthe cover. by the ,springjil acting in thep-ocketformed by; the jbolt handle 46. i'The handle'AB. their extends through the ppehing'i in .iatch-edposition' .If pressure is applied on the bolt the arcuate spring ifl' tends" to straighten which allows disengagement "ofth'e lug'ffi-r'om the notoharid forcesjthespring ends .5I' and 52 out of sockets-38. The. bolt can then'be rotated counterclockwise torleas'e' its: hook 145': from the casing If counterclockwise turning ri-tithe bolt is centinueduntili bolt 'nc'okflizlies against base wall portion 31, the notch 41 is brought into position to be engaged by the lug 55 upon release of the pressure on the bolt and the ends of spring 50 are brought adjacent the pair of sockets 39. Release of pressure on the bolt then allows the spring 50 to resume its former arcuate or arched shape and snaps the spring ends and 52 into the sockets 39. The bolt is then positively held in unlatched position until the sequence of pressing, holding, and rotating actions is again performed with the rotating action taking place in a clockwise direction.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a latch which has means for positively holding the latch bolt either engaged with or disengaged from the keeper casing unless a given sequence of actions is performed. Accidental movement of the bolt from either engaged or disengaged position is unlikely because of the sequence of pressing, holding, and rotating actions which are required to move the bolt'from one position to. the other position thereof.

The holding or locking means includes the lug on the housing and the spring acting on the bolt. The operating means is the handle of the bolt itself.

The structure of the latch bolt and its housing is especially simple and rugged and the parts are so designed as to cooperate in forming a unit in which assembly of the parts automatically produces proper positioning for reliable operation and holds the parts in such position. The keeper casing may be provided with a key-operated locking bar engageable with a notch on the bolt nose, merely as an additional feature without change in the other portions of the latch, thus providing .acombined latch and lock retaining all of the advantages of the present structure with the additional function of locking.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein'without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a latch, a housing provided with an opening'in one wall thereof, a latching bolt provided with a handle positioned in the opening for centering the bolt in its movements into latching and unlatching positions, a spring interposed between the other wall of the housing and the handle and acting to hold the latching bolt against the wall having the opening therein, means carried by the housing to interengage with the latch bolt to positively lock the same in its latched or unlatched position, said locking means being disengaged by pressing on the handle to free the bolt for rotary movement.

2. A latch comprising a keeper casing, a latch bolt engageable with the casing and having a plurality of notches, a latch bolt housing having a lug engageable in the bolt notches, the housing having a substantially circular space receiving the bolt and having sockets therein, and a spring acting on the bolt and engaging in the housing sockets for holding the housing lug engaged in one of the notches. 3

3. In. a latch, a housing comprising a base defining a space and a cover enclosing the space and having'an opening therethrough and a lug extending into the space, a latch bolt having a body portion in the housing space and ahandle- 75 spring ends in one of the pair of sockets correportion extending through the housing cover opening, the bolt body having notches engageable with the housing cover lug, and a spring seating on the housing base for urging the bolt body into contact with the housing cover when 5 the housing lug is engaged in a pre-selected bolt notch.

4. In a latch, a housing comprising a base defining a substantially circular space and a cover enclosing the space and having an opening therethrough and a lug extending into the space, a

latch bolt having a circular body portion in the housing space and a handle portion extending through the housing cover opening, the bolt body having notches engageable with the housing cover lug,.and a spring seating on the housing base for urging the bolt body into contact with the housing cover when the housing lug is engaged in a pre-selected bolt notch.

5. In a latch, a housing comprising a base defining a substantially circular space and a cover enclosing the space and having a circular opening therethrough concentric with the body space and a, lug extending into the space adjacent the opening, and a latch bolt having a circular body portion movable in the housing space into and out of contact with the housing cover and having a handle portion extending through the housing cover opening, the body bolt having notches in the periphery thereof engageable with the housing cover lug, and a spring within the housing for urging the bolt body into contact with the housing cover and for keeping the housing lug engaged in a pre-selected bolt notch.

65. In a latch, a housing comprising a base hav- 5 ing a plurality of sockets therein and a cover having an opening therethrough, a latch bolt having a body portion movable within the housing and a, handle portion extending through the cover opening, and a spring having the ends thereof engageable in the housing base sockets a cover having an opening therethrough, a latch bolt having a body portion movable within the housing and having a handle portion extending through the cover opening, and an arcuate spring having the ends engageable severally in the pairs of sockets and seating in the bolt handle for urging the bolt body into contact with the housing cover.

8. In a latch, a housing comprising a base having a plurality of sockets therein and a cover having an opening therethrough and a lug extending therefrom, a latching bolt having a body portion movable within the housing and a handle portion extending through the cover opening, the bolt having a plurality of notches in the body portion for pre-selected engagement with the lug, and a spring having the ends thereof engageable in the sockets and holding one of the notches engaged with the lug.

9. In a latch, a housing comprising a base having a plurality of sockets therein and a cover having an opening the'rethrough and a lug extending therefrom, a latching bolt having a body portionmovable within the housing and a handle portion extending through the cover opening, the

bolt having a plurality of notches in the body portion for pre-selected engagement With the lug, and an arcuate spring having the ends thereof engageable in the sockets and having the arch thereof seating in the handle, engagement of the sponding with engagement of the lug in one of the notches.

10. In a latch, a housing with an opening in one wall thereof, a latch bolt with a handle extending through the housing opening and oo-acting therewith for guiding rotary movements of the bolt into latched and unlatched positions, and a spring acting between another wall of the housing and the handle for holding the bolt against the said one wall of the housing and holding the handle in the opening therethrough in both the latched and unlatched positions of the bolt.

11. In a latch, a housing with a circular opening in one Wall thereof, a latch bolt, a handle extending through the housing opening and coacting therewith for guiding rotary movements of the bolt into both the latched and unlatc-hed positions, the bolt having a peripheral portion underlying said one housing wall and extending beyond the circumference of the opening therein, and a spring acting between another wall of the housing and the handle for holding the underlying portion of the bolt against the said one holding the handle in latched REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 324,201 Whittingham Aug. 11, 1885 570,503 Robertson Nov. 3, 1896 311,721 Conklin Feb. 3, 1885 473,126 Piers Apr. 19, 1892 500,143 Leggatt June 27, 1893 1,549,470 Egbert Aug. 11, 1925 1,650,414 Aldeen Nov. 22, 1927 1,775,574 Schrader Sept. 9, 1930 1,822,110 Raymond Sept. 8, 1931 2,012,885 Lovatt Aug. 27, 1935 2,276,915 Axe et al. Mar. 17, 1942 

